“How to promote a webinar to generate high-quality leads?“ is one of the most common questions for B2B companies that host webinars on a regular basis. Choosing a tool to promote a webinar is crucial, options range from cold email outreach, organic Social Media campaigns to paid advertising campaigns on various platforms such as Facebook, Google, Twitter, and many others. However, LinkedIn Advertising stands out as the most effective tool for B2B companies.
LinkedIn Ads as a platform for lead generation has been around for quite a while, however, the majority of advertisers didn’t take advantage of this platform and therefore, didn’t reap good results due to high costs & low results. In this article, we will provide practical tips for effectively using LinkedIn Ads to generate top-tier leads through webinar promotion, drawing on our case study of a call center software client.
The biggest challenge that our client faced was difficulties with lead generation due to the complex nature of the product. Traditional marketing strategies like gated content (white papers, ebooks, etc.) were ineffective, the target audience was not converting into leads as expected.
Next, generating leads through conventional methods, such as cold calling and cold emails, was very expensive and inefficient, averaging about $200 per lead which was not acceptable for our client.
Moreover, the leads generated through traditional marketing strategies were not good in quality, a big part of those leads were simply not decision-makers. When we are talking about high-quality leads, we mostly relate to C-level professionals and decision-makers in the targeted industry. In the case of one of our clients, the ideal target audience included Directors of Customer Service, VPs of Contact Center, Head of Customer Support, Chief Customer Service Officer, and other similar job titles.
The client also encountered challenges specific to cultural nuances in their target markets, particularly in German-speaking regions. The prevailing cultural conservatism in these areas made it hard to engage with German C-level executives, reaching these people was more challenging, requiring a unique approach to effectively resonate with this audience.
Our decision to solve a problem with lead generation and its high costs was to plan a series of webinars for a topic that will be interesting to our target audience. Putting out “hot” offers meant high conversion rates and therefore, reduced costs.
So, we did proper research in the contact center industry to identify specific trends and what our target audience is talking about on social media. As a result, we found out that our audience was particularly interested in implementing AI in contact centers to automate agents’ tasks & consequently, save time and money.
To solve the issue with the quality of leads, and given that we know specifically what job titles to target, we settled on LinkedIn Advertising as a main platform to promote a webinar and attract leads. The reason we chose LinkedIn Ads is because it provides a lot of targeting options that we need and opens access for us to a huge network of call center professionals in the German-speaking regions.
Participation in webinars often indicates a deep interest in a particular topic, leading to more active engagement and a higher potential for sales conversion.
Moreover, leads generated through webinars tend to be more qualified compared to other channels. LinkedIn Ads provide advertisers with a variety of tools to precisely target the desired audience.
Lastly, regular webinars on relevant topics can build brand awareness and establish your company as an expert in your field. Following our guidance in this article, you will be able to achieve the best possible performance of your LinkedIn Ad campaigns which can improve your brand awareness as a result.
Choosing the right strategy is a very important step in successfully promoting a webinar using LinkedIn Ads.
First, start with deep research of your target audience, your industry, and competitors. Since we’ve settled on LinkedIn Ads as our main channel for lead generation, we recommend that you do the following:
Second, make sure the topic of your webinar is interesting to your audience. Based on the information collected in the previous step, come up with a list of topics which potentially can be interesting. Then, run test campaigns on LinkedIn Ads to test which topic of the webinar resonates best of all.
If you’re new to LinkedIn Ads, be sure to check out our free guide “How to generate B2B Leads with LinkedIn Ads” which will walk you through the whole process of setting up your account on LinkedIn Ads. Here’s a check-list to get your ad account started:
LinkedIn Ads platform provides various campaign objectives tailored to different goals. We will need to choose a Lead Generation objective for webinar promotion. This objective is effective for capturing leads as it allows users to convert without leaving the LinkedIn platform.
Each campaign objective has a group Ad formats which are available for advertisers. Here’s a list of ad formats for the Lead Generation objective:
The most effective ad format for generating leads is “Single image ads” which show up on a user's LinkedIn feed as 'promoted’.
After choosing the ad format, we should allocate a campaign budget and select a bidding strategy. We recommend choosing a daily budget.
Note: be aware that LinkedIn may surpass the daily budget by approximately 30%; however, total expenditure will approximate your initial daily budget plan.
In regards to bidding, always start with “Manual”. Choosing Maximum delivery only makes sense when your CTR (Click Through Rate) is a few times higher than average (more than .1 %). If your targeting audience is in the United States or Canada, we recommend choosing a bid of $5-$7 per click. This bid is just a suggestion and your actual bidding can depend on many factors such as your target location, level of competition, and what kind of offer you will be promoting.
After launching your campaign, continually monitor impressions. If you notice your campaign isn't gaining enough traction, revisit your campaign settings. Incrementally adjust your bid upwards to identify the optimal rate for successful delivery.
One of the biggest success factors in your LinkedIn webinar promotion campaign lies in building your target audience in a proper way. The more precise and well-defined your target audience, the more effective your ad campaign will be.
We recommend targeting specific job titles, ensuring that you have a clear understanding of the job titles of your ideal customers and key decision-makers. This targeted approach will enhance the relevance and impact of your campaign.
Below is a screenshot that illustrates the process of Job Title selection for our client. You will also see some useful information on the right side from LinkedIn which shows a breakdown of functions of your selected target audience:
LinkedIn Advertising remains a primary and most effective tool for attracting leads, but complementing it with additional strategies can further enhance your lead generation efforts. Here are some proven techniques that we've successfully implemented for our client, which you might consider adopting:
✔ Create Engaging Content About your Webinar
Craft compelling posts that highlight the most important topics that will be discussed in your webinar. Try to include specific examples and keywords that will be relevant to your target audience and evoke interest.
✔ Use Proven Eye-catching Visuals
Test various images to determine the most effective ones that encourage clicks on your post. Consider using speaker headshots, real-life images, or infographics pertinent to the webinar's content. Aim for visuals that appear authentic and professional, avoiding the overtly staged look of some stock photos.
✔ Leverage Hashtags
We don’t recommend using hashtags with LinkedIn Ads, but if you are promoting your webinar with organic LinkedIn posts, using hashtags can help you attract relevant audiences.
While we generally don’t recommend using hashtags in LinkedIn Ads, they can be quite beneficial when promoting your webinar through organic LinkedIn posts. Selecting appropriate and targeted hashtags can significantly extend your reach.
✔ Post Regularly
Begin advertising your webinar in advance and maintain a regular posting schedule. Consider incorporating a variety of posts such as countdowns, highlighting speakers, or sharing enticing previews of the content. Regular posts keep your audience informed and engaged.
✔ LinkedIn Events
Create a LinkedIn Event for your webinar to directly invite your connections. This will also provide a centralized place for all event information and updates. Take a look at the screenshot below to see how to create an event on LinkedIn.
✔ Encourage Shares
Encourage your followers, speakers, and partners to share your posts. Leveraging personal networks through shares can significantly boost visibility and lead to higher registration numbers due to the endorsement effect.
People may simply forget about your webinar, especially if they registered a month before the webinar. So, it’s important to remind them about the event a few times. Here’s a pre-webinar email sequence we used for our client:
The whole pre-webinar sequence consists of two emails reminding about the upcoming webinar. As the subject line says, the first was sent 1 day before the webinar, and the second one was sent 1 hour before the webinar. Here’s the structure for both emails that we used:
It’s important to promptly follow up after your webinar to strengthen connection with your audience. This is the time when they still remember the information presented on the webinar and taking advantage of this moment plays a crucial role.
Note: Before getting to writing a structure for email follow-ups, it’s important to do audience segmentation and divide email recipients into attendees and no-shows.
Our follow-up email strategy for attendees, as illustrated below, focuses on providing value. It typically includes access to the webinar recording and additional resources like a free checklist. At the end of the email, we incorporate a compelling headline and a clear call to action button, prompting the recipient to engage further. This structure ensures the email is not only a thank-you note but also an extension of the webinar's value.
The email for non-attendees can use the same structure as above, with the addition of this line or something similar to it:
"We noticed that you didn't attend the webinar. Don't worry, here's a full-length recording."
The follow-up email for non-attendees may mirror the structure used for attendees, with an added personal touch acknowledging their absence. A suggested addition might be:
"We noticed you couldn't make it to the webinar. No worries! Here’s a link to the full recording so you can catch up on what you missed."
This approach ensures non-attendees still feel valued and provides them with an opportunity to engage with the content at their convenience.
B2B lead nurturing is another important factor in the success of a customer journey. Webinar leads should be treated as a high priority.
Depending on the complexity and price of your product, the timeframe for nurturing your leads may differ. The bigger and more expensive your product is, the more time it will take to nurture your leads.
Effective lead nurturing involves consistently providing free valuable content tailored to your leads' needs and stage in the buying cycle. The best strategy is to include a mix of targeted email sequences, calls, and personalized LinkedIn outreach. What should your messages be? Consider the following options: industry reports, checklists, eBooks, and the latest industry news. Always make sure to add an opportunity for conversion in every email.
You can continue to leverage LinkedIn Ads to attract B2B leads even after your live webinar has ended. Advertising your recorded webinar is an effective way to maintain lead acquisition and offer ongoing value to your audience. As long as the webinar remains relevant, it serves as a resource to expand your “pool” of high-quality leads.
The advantage of promoting on-demand webinars is the efficiency of reusing existing materials. You can just update your ad copy while keeping the same creative and precise targeting settings. This approach saves time and resources.
Our webinar promotion LinkedIn Ad campaigns successfully generated over 200 leads. These leads are of top-tier quality, meeting our client's expectations. All of the leads are a C-level executive or a decision-maker, ensuring a high potential for potential conversion.
Our webinar lead generation campaign achieved an impressive cost per lead at around $25. This rate is particularly remarkable given that 90% of all leads are C-level professionals who perfectly align with our Ideal Customer Profile (ICP).
We've successfully raised our client’s brand awareness among the target audience without a dedicated brand awareness campaign. The webinars have made a lasting impression, leading to greater recognition.
In conclusion, LinkedIn Ads has proven to be the most effective platform for B2b lead generation particularly in promoting webinars. The platform's precise targeting capabilities allow advertisers to reach the desired audience, including C-level executives and other influential professionals.
By following best practices in LinkedIn Advertising — such as defining clear objectives, creating good content, and utilizing LinkedIn's advanced targeting options — we've been able to generate over 200 top-tier leads.
More importantly, all of this was achieved at a cost that is quite reasonable, demonstrating LinkedIn Ads' efficiency and value for money in reaching and engaging a professional audience for webinar promotions and other B2B marketing objectives.
Our LinkedIn Ads experts will help you generate high-quality leads that actually convert. Fill out our proposal form to talk to us.
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